[Presentation Report] "Japan's Potential" Discovered at the Osaka-Kansai Expo

Hello. This is Ay Murakami.

On April 29, 2025 (Showa Day), I took the stage at the English talk session "The Power of Design to Create New Traditions: Shaping the Future of Lifestyles" held at the Osaka-Kansai Expo.

I feel truly honored to have had the opportunity to discuss future lifestyles and the state of traditional culture with young designers from all over the world, and to have been able to showcase Japan's potential on an international stage.

The Possibilities of the Japanese Identity

The session was attended by participants from New York, Singapore, London, and Gunma (me). Everyone has a very diverse background, grew up in a multicultural environment from an early age, and has a global outlook on things, not to mention English.

On the other hand, I was born and raised in Gunma. My only overseas experience was a short exchange program when I was a student. Although I was keenly aware of the language barrier, I did my best to communicate my thoughts.

But, I noticed something during that time.

My background is one in which I only know Japan. I think that for that very reason, I have value as someone who has a deep knowledge of Japanese culture.

What's important is not just knowing, but how you can put it into words and communicate it . With this ability, Japan's traditions and culture can shine brightly on the world stage.

What MATCHA taught me

When I visited New York in January this year, what struck me was the "matcha boom."
A popular local cafe specializing in matcha called "SORATE" serves matcha, sencha, and hojicha tea in a Japanese-style setting.

I thought, "It must be run by a Japanese person," but the owner was actually a foreigner.

On the other hand, even though matcha lattes and specialty shops are popular in Japan, especially in Tokyo, it is actually people from overseas who have taken the tea ceremony as their starting point and evolved it into "MATCHA" for the world.

I also felt a little regretful about this.
I strongly felt that if we Japanese were more conscious of understanding, polishing, and sharing our own culture, we could present it in a more interesting and valuable way than we do now.

We don't just preserve traditions, we update them and reconnect them with the modern era.
It was a time when I was able to once again deeply appreciate the meaning of Ay's motto, "reweaving culture."

Using this experience, we will continue to work hard to spread the charm of the traditional Isesaki Meisen fabric to the world.

I would like to continue to explore, refine, and disseminate kimono culture .
I believe that the beauty of a kimono lies not simply in the beauty of the garment, but in the fact that it embodies Japanese spirituality, seasonal feeling, and delicate aesthetic sense .
We will continue to take on the challenge of translating it into a form that suits modern sensibilities and figuring out how and where to deliver it in a way that will resonate with people's hearts.